Obama Keeps His Back to Iraqi Prime Minister Trying to Get a Word In at G-7 Summit

David Rutz
The Washington Free Beacon
6/8/2015

President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had an awkward moment at the G-7 summit in Germany, when the latter sat down next to Obama after a group photo and was obviously hoping to speak with him but only got his back.

Obama appeared engrossed in another conversation with International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde and Italian Prime Minister Mario Renzi and didn’t acknowledge al-Abadi. CBS This Morning reported on the footage Monday, with White House correspondent Major Garrett calling it “an awkward moment amid careful summit choreography.”

Obama and al-Abadi will speak today about the fight against the Islamic State terrorist organization, which recently seized the key city of Ramadi.

“The strains in that relationship were all too visible when after the G-7 photo, Abadi tried to steal a moment with Mr. Obama, but the president was so involved in another conversation, he never turned around, leaving the Iraqi prime minister and his translator to walk away in visible frustration,” Garrett said.

Indeed, al-Abadi’s translator actually threw his hands up in annoyance as he and his boss walked away.

Watch the video at The Washington Free Beacon.